RWBI: The Next Generation
by Dust2Dust17
Summary: Over 20 years after the events of Stolen Innocence and Broken Home, a dropout vigilante, the daughter of civil rights activists, a pro skater, and a glass-boned paladin begin attending Beacon Academy, where they will train to fight an enemy so powerful, not even their parents could comprehend it
1. 1: Thorn Rose

"Legends...Stories scattered through the ever-creeping passage of time. Different stories all end the same way, as the ones that tell them disappear and leave misremembered stories behind. There will be few that last this time, but we both know which ones will stay.

The one called Monty Oum, the first false hero brought into this world, helped forge a new power against the growing darkness with the new discovery of Dust. With it, the Grimm suddenly had something to fear, if, that is, they felt any emotion.

With these new powers, mankind was able to seal the figureheads of the Grimm away: The Alphas; massive abominations tasked with leading their bretherin to destroy humanity. With them captured and dealt with, man was able to flourish to what it was today.

Although, even with their destruction not so long ago, I can't help but notice the Grimm still are determined to do nothing but leave your cities in ruin, your subjects dead in the streets, your castle burnt to the ground. You think with their defeat, you have won, but you couldn't be more wrong. More of your protectors die every day; ones you fought alongside, ones you trained, even ones aspiring to be the legend you created. Face it, old friend. Your legends are nothing but failure.

"You've left out one crucial flaw in that knowledge."

"Hmm? And what might that be?"

"I know all too well as all old legends pass away, new ones rise, strong enough to withstand the hardship you throw upon them, no matter what it may be."

"You may be right, Ozpin...but allow me to prove you wrong ."

* * *

 **FROM THE CREATOR OF STORIES LIKE STOLEN INNOCENCE AND BROKEN HOME,**

 **DUST2DUST17 PRESENTS...**

 **TEAM RWBI**

 **A "RWBY" NEXTGEN FIC**

* * *

 **FOUR YEARS AGO...**

"Ozpin, you can't be serious!"

"I know what I'm doing, Glynda. Beacon will be left in capable hands while I'm gone. Vale's council has already given the go-ahead."

"Yes, but those hands aren't mine!" Glynda fussed, almost sixty and pouting like she was a four year old denied her dessert before dinner.

"Trust me, Glynda. I dropped your name, but the council denied it. The only one they felt comfortable with was her." Ozpin reasoned. "She will do fine, as long as she has guidance from someone as experienced as you."

Glynda was ready to retort, but bit her lip as the engines of the ship behind him began to activate, a high-pitched whirring beginning to drown out the background noises around them. "At least take someone with you, Ozpin!" she suggested one last time.

"This is an errand I can handle myself, Glynda." Ozpin responded, waving off the recommendation. "I may not be as spry as I once was, but I can do this."

Glynda slowly backed away from the Bullhead landing pad as it made the final preparations for takeoff. "You better come back safely!" she called as the doors began to close.

"I intend to." Ozpin nodded, casting one final smirk across his face before the door shut completely, and the dropship took to the late evening skies. She watched as it departed, letting out a sigh before she turned back to the academy, walking back to the tower that held the administration offices.

"He has experience the rest of us lack." Glynda reminded herself as she walked inside and up to the elevators. "He's making the right decision...no matter what the outcome will be."

She continued thinking of that moniker until the elevator arrived at the headmaster's office. Not much had changed in it over the years, something the only other occupant in the room was marveling at until she heard the doors to the lift slide open. She still faced away from Glynda, but that tattered red cloak and black cascading hair tipped with dark red dye still were familiar to the old mage. "Mrs. Rose?" she called.

Ruby turned to face her old teacher, her good silver eye catching her in its view. "Glynda, this is a pleasant surprise." she smiled as she turned to meet her halfway with a handshake.

"I would say the same if I wasn't expecting you." the platinum blonde replied, returning the shake as she took in the reaper's features.

She was no longer the diminutive teen girl she ran into on a rooftop in Vale so many years ago. She had blossomed into a beautiful woman in her mid-30's, her youthful appearance mostly retained over the years. Her usual black and red outfit was still the same, save for the cloak that she now wore in addition to the scarf that made up her original one. A portion of it also made up her new feature: a triangular eyepatch bearing her emblem in black over her right eye. "So, what's Ozpin need me here for?" she asked.

"It's more what Vale needs you here for." Glynda corrected, walking to the front the desk. "Ozpin just left Beacon for a mission he alone is undertaking." She stared longingly down at the metallic furniture her old friend inhabited for years. "Due to its nature, classification, and undetermined schedule, it's tough to say when he's set to return. In the meantime, Vale's councilmen need someone to be this academy's headmaster in his absence."

Ruby's eye widened as she tried to figure what the mage was insinuating. "So...you brought me here to tell me you're the new Headmistress?" she asked.

The blonde shook her head. "No, Ruby. You are."

Ruby's jaw dropped as she tried to take this information in. "I'm...Beacon's next headmaster?" she thought aloud, moving to the window and looking down at the skyline of Vale across the cliffs.

"Interim headmistress." Glynda corrected. "Ozpin offered many names for a temporary replacement qualified for this position, but you were evidently the only one they could agree with."

Ruby turned back to face Glynda. "There's got to be some mistake then! I'm no teacher, Glynda!" she tried to reason.

"That's where I come in." Goodwitch explained. "I'll be here to advise you and give assistance when needed, but you have final say on all matters here." She placed a hand on the unsure younger woman's shoulder. "I know you're having a busy time with your family now, and I apologize for the added pressure, but this was beyond my or Ozpin's control."

Ruby mulled it over as she let out a sigh as she came to a decision. "You know, the added money could help boost my new daughter's college fund..." she thought aloud.

"That's...a yes then?" Glynda asked, looking for clarification. That reason wasn't exactly what she'd think would hook the brunette Huntress. With a nod from Ruby, she had her answer. "Well, very good then. However, why not Thorn's fund?" she had to ask.

Ruby's eyes turned to the floor as Glynda brought that up. "Thorn's...having some personal issues at the moment. I don't really want to get into it."

* * *

 **PRESENT DAY**

Vale City: formerly the last bastion of humanity in a fifty mile radius. After that day almost twenty-five years ago, civilization has prospered, pushing back the darkness that once surrounded them and expanding. Vale now encompassed a state that reached from its northern tip to twenty miles south of Mountain Glenn...or the city formerly know as Mountain Glenn, but that's a story for another time.

In Vale City, people of all walks of life were walking about in the early afternoon sun, minding their own business as they walk around shopping, return to their places of business after a lunch break, or for some, prepare for the new school semesters beginning. Yes, it's a peaceful time where equality, love, and peace have brought about an almost utopian society.

"Hey, stop! Thieves!"

Well, I did say almost.

On a one-way street in the shopping district, the lunch hour crowd stopped and turned to the shout to see three men, wearing all black and hiding their identities with ski masks, jump into a parked car on the sidewalk outside a Dust shop. The owner dashed out just as the culprits peeled off and away from the curb. "I've just been robbed!" he shouted, watching as a police cruiser on the other side of the street pulled out and started chasing after the suspects' car, sirens wailing and lights flashing the whole way.

As the car chase wound its way through the urban jungle, the robbers trying to escape the fuzz on their tail, one lone individual lounging on the edge of an apartment building's roof perked his ears up to the sound of screeching tires and police sirens growing closer. He shifted his gaze down to the street below, watching through silver eyes as the lead car had people leaning out of it to fire handguns at the pursuing cops. Citizens on the sidewalks yelped in surprise as they took cover however they could while the rolling shootout passed by them.

With a sigh over his ruined nap, the man got up, dusting off his black jeans, and broke into a sprint of superhuman speed, a thin trail of rose petals in his wake. He jumped from rooftop to rooftop, following the chase intently as the drivers lead the way on a winding path to try and lose the officers hot on their tails, along with the other two cruisers that had joined in later on in the chase.

"You'd think they'd have got him by now." he thought as they noticed where the car was headed. The robbers were on a straightaway leading to the on-ramp of the highway. If the police didn't stop them now, they would lose the thieves easily in the traffic. Considering he was running out of rooftop to run along as well, he decided to take action. Reaching back into the holsters on his hips, he produced two red and black, metallic, lever action shotguns. He backflipped off the roof towards the lead car, his hood coming down in the wind and exposing his dark brown and red hair, two dog ears also present.

"Oh, Monty dammit." one of the cops in the pursuing cars muttered upon sight of him.

"What's wrong, Blanchard? Who is that?" his much younger partner asked.

"Just get on the radio, Collins." the older cop responded. "Tell HQ we have a Codeword: Prick. They'll know what it means."

The new arrival narrowed his silver eyes as he took aim in midair at the robbers' car. Firing off a shot, the riders inside ducked as the buckshot shattered their windshield and peppered the hood and roof. Another shot at closer proximity went through the front fender, popping one of the tires.

As he landed, the lead car spun out of control, crashing into a fire hydrant on the sidewalk and showering the wreck with a geyser of water. The robbers stumbled out, cursing and glaring down the young man who crashed them.

"Who the hell's this kid supposed to be?" one asked, flipping open his switchblade.

"Who the fuck cares? P, blast him!" a female robber ordered as the third stepped forward, taking aim at him with a submachine gun.

Before "P" could even get a shot off, the shotgun-toting vigilante had disappeared in a flash of red, all that remained where he stood were a small cluster of rose petals fluttering away in the wind. "What the-Where'd he go?" P wondered, lowering his firearm as he looked around. He only looked up too late, as he came face to face with the butt of a shotgun, busting his nose and spraying blood all over his mouth. "Agh!" was all P could spout out at the sudden breaking of his nose, only to be followed up with a kick that sent him flying through a cafe window behind the crashed car.

In retaliation, the other two culprits charged him, the female reaching back into the car and pulling out a lead pipe on the way. She took the lead, swinging at the vigilante wildly, only for him to inch or duck away from each strike until he caught one with the stock of his shotgun. As this happened, he grinned, clenching down on the lever of his shotgun as the barrel extended into a pole, the metal stock curving as the blade guard retracted, forming a sickle.

"Ah, shit, it's a Huntsman!" she cursed as a swipe from his scythe came her way. At first, she thought it missed, only for half of her pipe to suddenly clatter to the ground. Like P, she didn't have time to react as he swept her legs out from under her, following that up by the flat end of his scythe bashing against her skull. The hit sent her back into the pavement, where she landed, groaning in pain.

"You're gonna pay for that!" the final robber, the one wielding a switchblade, yelled as the scythe-user turned to narrowly miss that carved a cut on the right side of the vigilante's hoodie. Growling at the almost-landed strike, the scythe-wielder backed up as he slammed his other shotgun against his blade, the two combining to form a dual-bladed scythe, each curved length of steel on either side. In a flurry of petals, he spun the weapon in his hands at a speed that created a windstorm in the final robber's face, blowing the knife out of his hand as he tried to advance through it. Once he was disarmed, the spinning stopped, and the sudden resistance he had been fighting went with it. As he stumbled forward, the vigilante met him with a roundhouse kick that sent him into a streetlamp pole on the other side of the street.

"Ow..." the thief moaned, spitting out a tooth before noticing the scythe-wielder moving on him. "Okay, guy! You got us. We give up!" he called out nervously, only growing more panicked as his only response was a hand reaching out and grabbing him by his collar.

"You rob a store in my city, fire at the cops and me, cut my favorite shirt, and expect me to forgive you?" the vigilante growled before throwing him back against the pole.

"L-Look, we're sorry!" he responded, slinking back to the ground. "Just arrest us and take the Lien back to the guy we robbed!"

"And now you expect mercy? Tsk." he shook his head, angling one of his blades with the thief, raising it up.

"Wait, what the hell are you doing?" The man cried. "Huntsman aren't executioners!"

"I'm not a Huntsman." the vigilante simply said, bringing the scythe down...

Wait, why wasn't it moving?

He looked back to see a metallic arm, with a very familiar bracer attached to it, holding the blade back with what looked like no effort to the older blonde woman behind him. She wore a long brown overcoat whose coattails reached down to her shins over a sleeveless yellow shirt with her insignia on the front, along with black pants with a bumblebee patch sewn on her right thigh, as well as two bandoliers of shells wrapped around each leg.

"Thorn, stand down." Yang ordered, her eyes narrowing and turning orange.

"Yang, you're kinda obstructing justice at the moment." Thorn responded through clenched teeth.

"From the looks of those cop cars, so are you." she quipped, looking at the half dozen police cruisers behind them, then to the cowering culprit on the ground. "You. How 'bout you go let those good officers take care of ya, hm?" she suggested. The thief nodded rapidly, finding his feet and running to the police line, yelling something through his cries along the lines of "Just arrest me!"

"Yang, look-" Thorn started before he was whipped around to face her.

"That's AUNTIE Yang to you, Pup." Yang reminded, Thorn seething at the mention of his childhood nickname. "And we'll talk about this somewhere else, got it?" she ordered.

"...Got it." Thorn glared the two turning back to walk away.

* * *

 **And that's the start!**

 **You've asked for more story about Thorn since he was introduced at the end of SI, and you've gotten it! I've been working on this since I've hit a bad case of writer's block with Broken Home, so I plan to update it periodically, trying not to give much away as I still have the rest of the stories leading up to this future to go through. Just know that this is going to be a story that starts off a bit darker than the first season of RWBY did. If you couldn't guess that from Thorn almost executing a petty thief just now, I don't know what will get you to understand it.**

 **Anyway, I can't promise I know when this will get updated again, but for now, follow this if you like it, leave a comment because I love reading them, and I'll see you lads and lasses next time!**


	2. 2: Intervention

"...Alright, Chief. Just send us the bill. We'll cover the damage done." Yang sighed, getting a stern talking to from the chief of police for her nephew's actions for the umpteenth time. "I hope it won't happen again either. Trust me." she added before hanging up, stepping back inside her family run business, the Flamin' Frets bar and grill, a popular pub catering to Huntsman with a bulletin board of jobs that need doing out in the kingdom, sparring rings for training or settling arguments, and cheap drinks.

She stepped back inside, ignoring the "Closed for Family Emergency: Sorry!" sign she had hastily written up to settle this intervention she had planned. Inside, Rocco, her husband of about fifteen years was hand washing glasses at the counter as Thorn sat on the other side from him...drinking his third pint of beer. "You gave him booze?" Yang asked, annoyed enough by Thorn's behavior for one day already.

"He said he was thirsty." Rocco shrugged. "I asked if he wanted something."

"Alcohol wasn't what I was hoping you'd get him." Yang facepalmed.

"Aww, c'mon, Auntie." Thorn groaned rather animatedly, already showing signs of tipsiness. "I can handle it."

"You're 22, Thorn. Your tolerance for alcohol isn't that strong yet." she responded, picking the glass out of his hand. "And neither is my tolerance for the bullshit you caused today." she added, sliding the full glass out of his reach.

"Hey, I stopped those crooks, didn't I?" Thorn asked.

"You also sent two of them to the hospital, destroyed a fire hydrant, caused property damage to a cafe, and mentally scarred another crook for life." she listed off. "Speaking of which, all of that was covered by our vacation fund."

Rocco sighed, grumbling something incoherent as the door to the kitchen at the end of the bar opened. Stepping out was a dirty blonde teen with gold-rimmed glasses over her lilac eyes. She looked just like her mother at seventeen: peak physical condition, a tank top over a black jacket, and black short shorts with an orange skirt over them. "Seriously? I was looking forward to visiting Xion Village this year!" she complained.

"Roxie, I'm not a fan of it either, but paying for the damage is the only reason your cousin isn't in police custody right now." Yang explained to her daughter, before turning back to her nephew. "And even still, that finale you almost pulled off? You're lucky I stopped you. Murder isn't something I can get you out of, Thorn!"

"Like I was actually gonna off him." Thorn shrugged, making the motion of slitting his throat with an imaginary knife as he spoke. "Quit being so upset."

"Upset? You had the perfect kill lined up!" Yang growled. "I know it from seeing your mother make it on countless Grimm!"

"I was gonna stop just before it was too late!" Thorn growled back, starting to get annoyed. "I know how to hold back!"

"Do you?"

All heads turned to the doorway as the owner of the new arrival's voice made her presence known. Ruby pulled down her hood as she let the door close behind her.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Thorn glowered.

"I called her, Thorn." Yang responded as her sister joined the group. "Your behavior is starting to get out of hand."

"You haven't been the same since you dropped out of Signal." Roxie commented. "We're all worried."

Thorn cast a glance at the four people around him. "What is this, an intervention?" he squinted.

"We were going to hold off for another week or so, but today's events changed our minds." Ruby explained. "Thorn, what's going on with you?" she asked her son, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Thorn cast a leer to the floor as he looked away from his mother's gaze. "You of all people should know why." he responded.

Ruby slightly retracted her hand, secretly afraid that was the reason. "That's not a fair reason." she spoke, eye turned toward the floor.

"Neither was keeping it a secret from me for so long." Thorn glowered, reaching over and picking the glass pulled away by Yang back up.

"Thorn, we've been meaning to tell you for years." Ruby tried to explain. "We've just...never had the right time to do so."

"How hard is it to say 'your dad's the guy who raped me 20 years ago'? Huh?" Thorn asked, rising from his seat to full height.

"That's where my name came from, right?" he asked. "From being a thorn in your side? What else would you name a kid you never wanted?" he growled.

"Thorn, that's enough-" Yang started, moving towards him.

"You stay out of this, Auntie!" he roared, surprising everyone in the room, before turning back to Ruby with a sneer. "And why should I take an order from a mother that didn't want me in the first place?"

With a snort, he turned away and began to finish his drink. Yang and Rocco turned to each other in shock and awe. Although the three older people in the room knew the truth about Thorn's father to full extent, all knew the young man had blown it out of proportion. Roxie just looked on between her parents and relatives with worry prevalent on her face. She watched as her aunt's face contorted from shock and surprise to one of determination.

"Alright, Thorn." Ruby finally huffed. "You're going to play that card? I'll play mine. Step outside."

The son raised an eyebrow as he turned to face her. "What for?" Thorn asked in return.

"You and I are settling this argument right now. We're going to duel." Ruby answered, her eye narrowed. "If I win, you re-enroll at Beacon with no complaints."

"And if I win, you'll drop pressuring me into this?" Thorn asked, narrowing his eyes and putting his empty glass on the bar counter.

"It'll never be spoken of again. Cross my heart." Ruby nodded, waiving her hand in a straight line over her chest as a symbol of intent to keep her promise.

Hesitantly, the Faunus man locked eyes with his mother as he sensed the fire in her eye. "Alright then." he finally smirked. "You're on."

With a collective sigh, Yang shook her head as Rocco turned to his daughter. "Rox, go clear out the practice arena out back. They'll need the room." he ordered.

"Wait, this is seriously happening?" Roxie asked. "We're really just letting them fight it out?"

"If there's one thing I've learned from how much time I spent around your mother and aunt, it's best to just let them have their way." Rocco shrugged, earning a set of squints from the two sisters.

* * *

If it wasn't the drinks or the place to unwind after a mission that brought Huntsman to Yang and Rocco's bar, it was the sparring arena out back behind the building. What was once a worn-out basketball court that even local kids stopped playing at had been annexed, and decked out with top of the line energy barriers, donated from a friend in Atlas, to allow combatants to go all out, but keep stray shots from hurting passing bystanders.

Even so, Roxie, her parents, and the few civilians that had stopped to watch couldn't help but flinch as each sniper round or buckshot missed rebounded off the energy shielding. The mother and son had been going at it for a solid three minutes, and the whole time, Ruby clearly had the upper hand, even after a few slashes from Thorn put her on the defensive for a moment. Each slash from both halves of Crimson Shades were reflected and countered by the gleaming blade of Crescent Rose. "Thorn's getting creamed in there..." Roxie thought before she turned to her mother. "Mom, we're just letting this play out? What if one of them gets seriously hurt?" she asked.

"Don't you worry about that, Rox." Yang smirked. "While your cousin may not have much restraint, Aunt Ruby definitely is the more merciful one."

"She won't rough him up too much, kiddo. Trust us." Rocco agreed, before turning back to the fight. He watched without flinching as Thorn got slammed into the sidewall once again, this time after being sucked into a dark red tornado whipped up by Ruby's semblance. The only difference from the previous two times in the bout was that instead of raising his weapons again, he let them clatter to the floor as he dropped to his stomach. "See? He'll live." Rocco gestured to the holographic scoreboard on the outside of the arena. Ruby's aura level was barely below 80, while Thorn's was completely drained. Plus, the young man hadn't raised his head up as Ruby walked up to him as he stirred back into consciousness.

As he craned his head up, Thorn came face to face with the tip of Crescent Rose rested against the ground in front of him. Further up, his mother stared down at her twenty-two year old son in a mix of triumph and pity. "I'll claim my victory here. Wouldn't want to hurt you too badly for your initiation next week." she smiled with a wink.

"Ugh..." was all Thorn could grunt out as he let his head drop back onto the pavement.

* * *

 **One Week Later...**

A set of dark lavender eyes looked out across the view from the coastal docks of Vale as the airship to the academy. "Isn't this exciting, Coz?" Roxie asked as she turned to face her older relative. "Can you believe we finally get to train at Beacon Academy?"

"Yep. It's truly, unbelievably horrifying." Thorn huffed as he stood behind her, hands shoved in his pockets.

"Horrifying?" the blonde teen asked, turning to face him. "What could be horrifying about being a Huntsman, learning new skills, and making new friends?" she asked.

"Well, for starters, most of this class is people we already know." Thorn started. "And second, I'm not here to make friends, Roxanne. The only reason I'm being sent here is because I lost that bet with my mom."

"Speaking of which, don't you still live with your mom?" she asked. "Why come all the way to Vale when you live at our destination?"

"Well, it's not because I lied about going to shop for school supplies and catch this ferry on the way back just so I can sneak out the emergency exit in the engine room and avoid being stuck at this fuckin' nightmare of a school for four more years." Thorn explained, talking almost as fast as a certain history professor. "Not that example at all."

"Hey..." Roxie paused as she squinted at him. "Watch your language!"

"Oh, go suck a-" Thorn started to retort before headlock from a warm, metallic arm choked him out of saying that final word.

"Aw, c'mon, kiddo!" Yang chuckled as she lightened her grip so she wouldn't strangle her nephew. "You're not the least bit happy you get to go back to school?" she asked with a toothy grin.

"I find it hard to believe I'm related to more than one overly-optimistic person in this family." Thorn sighed, before the sound of the news reports playing on the holoscreens around the ship caught their attention.

"Authorities at the Vale Supermax Security Prison have not discovered exactly what has been tripping alarms that have warranted noise complaints in New Glenn, however they have put fears to rest that the causes aren't because of any jailbreaks or intrusions to the facility. This is Shari Chartruse, reporting live for VNN at New Glenn." one reporter on screen spoke before the feed cut back to an older Lisa Lavender behind the studio news desk.

"Thank you, Shari." Lisa thanked as she went on to her story. "In other news, the White Fang has begun talks with the King of Vacuo and his governing council to discuss the writing of a bill that will guarantee Faunus equality in the kingdom. The once-terroristic organization that has gone back to its peaceful roots thanks to its new co-leaders..."

The news report slowly faded out as the feed was replaced with the image of a young woman in a grey and green outfit, with orange hair and green eyes. "Salutations, prospective students!" the girl smiled.

"Who's this?" Roxie asked, looking at the screen.

"I am Beacon Academy's resident artificial intelligence personality, Penny." the girl answered. "During your time at this academy, I will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for any assistance at kiosks throughout the campus, as well as all devices connected to the school's wireless network. Isn't that sensational?" she giggled.

"Please, Monty, just end my life now..." Thorn groaned in disinterest, only for an elbow from his aunt to shut him up.

"In a mere few moments, you will be landing at our airship docks." Penny informed, gesturing to a map of Beacon's layout that appeared next to her, a dotted line leading from the docks to a building deeper in the campus. "From there, you shall meet in the auditorium where Headmistress Rose will give you an orientation speech. Afterwards, you shall gather in the ballroom, where you will be sleeping there until your teams are assembled tomorrow evening. She paused as the ship came to a slow, stopping at a dock berth with a great view of the castle that was Beacon out the window beside them. "I hope you enjoy your time here! Welcome to Beacon Academy!"


	3. 3: Beacon Academy

"Mom, Dad, you have nothing to worry about. I'll be just across Beacon Bay from you." A girl with violet eyes and black hair told the two adults standing in front of her.

"I'm not the one worried, Sonja. I have complete faith you'll make a fine Huntress once you graduate." Ren smiled calmly down on his daughter from behind his rimless glasses. "Your mother, on the other hand..." he continued, gesturing to the bawling mess of a woman that was Nora that clung for dear life to her daughter.

"My little baby bird is leaving our nest, Ren! I have a right to be upset!" Nora sobbed into her 18 year old's shoulder, the tears soaking the fuschia sleeves of the undershirt to her pine-colored vest.

"We've been over this, Mom. I'll come by the diner for breakfast every other weekend to visit." Sonja said in an attempt to reassure her inconsolable parent. "I-I'll even bring my team along once I get put in one."

"Not good enough! Come by every day before class!" Nora demanded.

"You know she can't, dear." Ren sighed as he once again tried to pull her off their only child before his wife's tears drenched Sonja anymore than she currently was. With a little help from Sonja wriggling her arm free from her wailing mother's grasp, they achieved victory and Sonja was free at last.

"At least call me before bed then! A-and remember your pills for your condition!" Nora cried.

"Of course, and I should have enough to last me my first month here." Sonja nodded before the sound of a new airship docking behind them caught the family's attention.

"Well, there's our ride." Ren sighed.

"No, wait! I'm not ready to leave my little girl yet!" Nora protested.

"We'll be back tomorrow for her initiation ceremony, Nora." Ren reminded, looking back to his daughter. "See you then, my sweet."

"Bye, Dad." Sonja blushed as she turned to pick up her bag and head off towards the main auditorium. Ren and Nora stayed behind, turning to the dock as the airship finally pulled into the docking ramp. A moment passed as safety locks disengaged and the doors slowly opened. Much less slowly, two yellows blurs burst by the Lie-Valkyrie family and into the nearby trash can a few feet away.

"Ugh...did I really have to inherit your air sickness, dad?" the younger one asked the 40-year old blonde man whose head was still stuck in the bin.

"I don't...like it as much as you do, Icarus." Jaune replied to his youngest son out of the four Arc children he had sired. Icarus was the spitting image of his father at 18: scraggly blonde hair, black hoodie under angular armor pads, but instead of the pure blue eyes almost all Arcs were famous for, the left was blue, and the right one green. He also seemed more sickly than Jaune in his younger years, but that wasn't the fault of the airsickness both of them suffered from.

"Whatever...I think it's passed now." Icarus sighed, wiping his mouth before he almost up chucked all of his organs from the sudden bear hug Nora had placed him into. "AGH-AUNT NORA!?"

"WHY ARE ALL OUR BABIES GROWING UP SO FAST?!" Nora bawled, her grip around her godson tightened to the point Icarus started to turn purple in the face. It took the combined strength of both Jaune and Ren to wrench the boy from the ironclad grip Nora had on him.

"Apologies, Jaune. She's been...pretty emotional today." Ren sighed as he handed his wife a handkerchief to wipe her tears, only for the Valkyrie to blow her nose with it.

"Well, she's not as bad as Pyrrha was when Athena started at Signal." Jaune reminisced, thinking of when his eldest started at the undergrad Huntsman academy. Taiyang still looks nervous whenever Jaune's wife was around after that incident. "You okay, son?"

"I'll...live." Icarus groaned, getting his air back after almost being choked to death by that one hug. "You might wanna keep her restrained in case she recognizes anybody else."

"That...might be for the best." Jaune sighed, Ren nodding in agreement. "Say hello to your mom and siblings for me." he said as the two started bringing Nora towards the airship.

"Gotcha. Later Dad, Uncle Ren, Aunt Nora!" Icarus waived as he joined the tail end of the crowd of new arrivals from that same airship.

"Wait! I can't leave yet! I haven't said all my goodbyes yet!" Nora continued to cry as she was dragged into the ship through a few straggling passengers from the inbound trip.

"Man, glad my moms didn't make that much of a scene when I left." one girl in a dark blue hoodie muttered to herself, blowing her darker blue bangs out of her green eyes as she continued into Beacon's quad. "Welp, might as well get a lay of the land." she thought, pulling out a wind Dust vial and sticking it on the heel of her sneakers. Once it was attached, the soles lit up lime green, and she began to levitate over the crowd. She flew around, getting a Nevermore's eye view of the campus she would call home for the next few years. Then, she looked among the dozens of incoming students among her. There was the sickly blonde kid that rushed out with his dad earlier, another girl that must have been that overemotional lady's daughter, and some handsome boy her age with undercut icy blue hair and expensive-looking clothing followed by an old man in a tuxedo that seemed to be pushing a rather overstacked luggage cart behind him. Back towards the parking lot far off to the left where some students were being dropped off by cars, she could make out two Faunus girls being dropped off by an older rabbit Faunus woman. One was another rabbit Faunus with dark green hair and towered over the three of them by a good half-foot. The other didn't seem to be related with the two rabbit women, judging the jet black hair and cat ears, and a large buster sword slung over her black and purple jacket.

Before she could get a better look at the rest, she suddenly felt an invisible hand pulling her to the ground, coming down rather hard and face first. "Ow...fuck, that hurt." she groaned as she sat back up.

"Language, Miss...Chloris, is it?"

Ms. Chloris looked up to see the middle-aged platinum blonde staring daggers down at her, a glowing riding crop in one hand, and a holographic tablet in the other.

"Bai's just fine." Bai replied. "Any particular reason you pulled me down there, lady?" she asked, somewhat annoyed.

"Professor Goodwitch." Glynda coldly replied. "Assistant headmistress of this academy. Now, allow me to give you your first lesson from the student handbook: section 3, subsection 2, paragraph 7...use of levitation semblances or flight equipment or machinery outside of designated areas is prohibited for students without faculty permission." she recited, not even glancing at her tablet. Bai just sat up, mouth agape at Beacon's walking rulebook. "You can continue onto the auditorium on your own two feet. Now, run along."

"Tch, fine." Bai finally stood up, joining the others in their trek through the campus. Glynda kept an eye on her until she felt the presence of a group arriving behind her.

"I see you're wasting no time whipping these kids into shape, Glynda." Yang complimented.

"Somebody has to, Yang." the older Huntress sighed before turning to the two younger individuals. "Roxanne...and Thorn. I was quite surprised when your mother said you'd be coming back to finish your schooling."

"Her and me both." Roxie quipped.

"Shut it." Thorn retorted through clenched teeth.

"Well then, you two can continue on with the others. Glyn, my sister in?" Yang suggested before asking her fellow Huntress.

"Actually, yes. And so is another one of your fellow alumni." Glynda answered. "She's already on her way up."

"Then I got some catching up to do." Yang smirked before she remembered something. "Rox, stick to your cousin like glue. He leaves your sight for any reason that isn't a bathroom break, you have my permission to hunt him down."

"Is that really necessary?" Thorn asked.

"Don't think I didn't hear you plotting your escape on the ship ride over, Mister." his aunt glared, gesturing with two fingers that she had her eyes on him.

"Whatever. It's not like Roxie's that intimidating anyway." the young man pointed out, earning a leer from his younger cousin.

"It should be me you should be more concerned about facing, Mister Rose." Glynda responded, actually getting to the Faunus. Apparently, the infamous legends of Glynda Goodwitch were true.

"...Okay, fair point." Thorn begrudgingly agreed as he started for the auditorium.

"Hey, wait up!" Roxie called out as she ran up to catch up with him. Once the three related individuals were out of earshot, Glynda let out a much more audible sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Ugh...five more years until retirement can't come soon enough." she complained.

* * *

Up in Beacon Tower, Ruby let out a sigh of her own; this one of relief from being able to spot Thorn from his dark red hoodie. Yang got him here; that was the easy part. The hard part was just beginning. Her thoughts of this were pushed aside as she heard a notification chime from the holoprojector on her desk. "Yes?" she asked, selecting the notification from Penny as an image of her android friend appeared in the center of the office.

"Ruby, I have an incident at the base of the tower to report." Penny announced. "Should I hail the proper authorities?"

The headmistress raised an eyebrow to the hologram in the middle of the room. "What exactly is the incident, Penny?" Ruby asked.

"Unauthorized access to the elevator and threatening bodily harm." Penny replied. "When I asked for her name, she replied with quote, 'Penny, let me see my dolt of a friend before I have you reprogrammed into an answering machine.' unquote."

Ruby had to stifle a squeal of excitement. Only one person dared to call her that anymore, and she hadn't seen her in almost a year. "It's okay, Penny; she's a friend! Let her inside!" she ordered excitedly.

"Unlocking elevator doors." her holographic assistant nodded as the middle elevator doors opened. Inside stood a woman Ruby's age with stark white, short cut hair, piercing light blue eyes, and a cross-shaped scar over her left eye. She wore a white business casual dress with silver slippers and a matching tote slung over her shoulder. "Ruby. It's been too long." she smirked.

"Weiss!" Ruby smiled as she rushed forward to meet her halfway.

"Careful!" the Dust company president warned as Ruby practically dashed toward her. "I'm still carrying precious cargo here, you dunce!"

It was the moment before she made contact that Ruby registered the decent-sized bump Weiss sported under her dress. "Oh, right! Sorry!" she apologized, slamming on her brakes as she stood in front of her friend, settling for a light hug rather than a tackling one. "I almost forgot about your announcement of this little...what was it again?" she asked, pointing at Weiss' engorged stomach.

Weiss regained her smirk as she returned the hug. "Neptune and I just found out the other day. It's going to be a girl." she replied. "She'll be here sometime in late November."

"Well, that's great to hear." Ruby grinned. "Pass my congrats on to Neptune." she asked as the two women walked over to the desk.

"Thank you." Weiss smiled as she placed her bag down and took a seat. "It's just too bad Triton won't be home when she's born."

"We could allow him some time off to visit home if you want." Ruby offered.

"I doubt he'll take it, anyway." the duelist responded. "He's adamant on focusing on his upcoming studies. With the crop of new students going to these academies, I can't say I blame him."

"That's true." Ruby nodded in agreement. "Besides the top of the class students from the lower schools, we're getting back some of our initial recruits from last year's epidemic. Midna, Roxie, Icarus Arc, Jade Daichi..." she began listing off.

"And...Thorn?" Weiss interjected, the smile slightly fading from the reaper's face.

"Heh. News travels that fast, huh?" Ruby asked.

"You can thank Yang for that." the Dust company heiress informed her, reaching into her bag for her Scroll, opening up a Dustbook post from Yang. It depicted Thorn and Roxie standing by the airship docks in Vale, each with varying degrees of enthusiasm for their first day at Beacon. A caption below read "So happy my baby and favorite nephew are going to Beacon Academy! #ProudMama/Auntie"

"Of course." Ruby sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'm glad I got Thorn back into Beacon, but I'm not happy that I literally had to beat some sense into him to do it."

"Well, you had to intervene at some point." Weiss reasoned. "You said it yourself when he dropped out of Signal. The last thing any of us want is for him to end up like-"

"I know." Ruby interjected rather sharply. "Which is why I'm going to ignore that request from the supermax security prison at New Glenn."

Weiss' eyes widened in surprise. "Ruby, what if what Torchwick said is true?" she asked.

"Then I'll deal with the fallout from it." Ruby answered. "I trust Roman now since he changed, but this is something else I want out of my life for good."

Weiss eased further back into her seat. "I figured you'd say something along those lines." she shrugged. "Colonel Solei isn't going to enjoy your denial of help to her troops though."

"Ciel's a capable leader." Ruby shrugged. "If anyone can thwart this possible prison break, it's her soldiers. There's no way he's getting free."

"Who's getting free, Sis?"

Ruby and Weiss turned to see Yang walking up to the two of them. "What? No hello, Rubes? Ice Queen?"

* * *

 **Guess who's back?**

 **Let me first apologize if anyone still reads my content for being inactive over the past few months. I figured summer would give me some opportunity to work on my fics, but after a few family reunions and emergencies, breaking my elbow, and a few other personal issues, time to write has been hard to come by. Either way, I finally got some time back, and am finally getting out of a severe case of writer's block I've had with the next chapter of Broken Home. The beginning and ending are done; the rest was somewhat hard to figure out, but now I know how to connect the two.**

 **I've been wanting to finish Broken Home since it's been incomplete since before Volume 3 came out, and these next few chapters for RWBI will contain spoilers from not just Broken Home, but its third part in the trilogy, so I hope this tides you over for a while. I want to commit to finishing that up before coming back here. Anyway, that's all I got so remember to leave a follow or comment on this story of you liked what you've read so far, and I'll see you lads and lasses much sooner than last time!**


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